29 Palms (song)

"29 Palms" is a rock song by English musician Robert Plant, released in April 1993 by Fontana and Es Paranza as the first single from his sixth album, Fate of Nations (1993). The songwriting credited to Plant, Charlie Jones and Doug Boyle (two of the backing musicians on the recording), Chris Blackwell and Phil Johnstone.^[2]

"29 Palms"
Single by Robert Plant
from the album Fate of Nations
B-side	"21 Years"
Released	26 April 1993[1]
Genre	Rock
Length	4:51
Label	Fontana (UK) Es Paranza (US)
Songwriter(s)	Robert Plant Chris Blackwell Charlie Jones Doug Boyle Phil Johnstone
Producer(s)	Chris Hughes Robert Plant
Robert Plant singles chronology
"Your Ma Said You Cried in Your Sleep Last Night" (1990) "29 Palms" (1993) "I Believe" (1993)
Music video
"29 Palms" on YouTube

A review in Billboard magazine described "29 Palms" as "richly emotive rock with strong, spell-casting power" and notes Plant's vocal and the guitars and percussion.^[3] Released as a single, it became his second most successful single on the UK Singles Chart, where it reached number 21.^[4][5]

Lyrics

In a 1993 interview, Plant would not discuss the song, except to say "'29 Palms' was written on tour, the last time we were in California."^[6] Twentynine Palms, California, is a small town located in the Mojave Desert about 140 miles east of Los Angeles. It is best known as one of the main entry ways to the Joshua Tree National Park and the site of one of the largest Marine Corps training bases in the US.

The song includes the refrain:

It comes kinda hard
When I hear your voice on the radio (When I hear your voice on the radio)
Taking me back down the road that leads back to you
Oh, oh, oh
29 Palms
I feel the heat of your desert heart (Feel the heat of your desert heart)
Taking me back down the road that leads back to you

B-sides

The CD single featured three non-album songs, "21 Years" and "Dark Moon", both written and performed with singer-songwriter Rainer Ptacek, and a version of "Whole Lotta Love (You Need Love)", also performed with Ptacek.^[7]

Personnel

Billboard's single review notes "[v]ibrant electro-acoustic guitars" and "a percussive grandeur that includes skillful use of snare, tom-toms, and timpani".^[3] The musicians are:^[2]

• Robert Plant – vocal
• Kevin Scott MacMichael – guitar
• Doug Boyle – guitar
• Charlie Jones – bass
• Chris Hughes – drums

Charts

Chart performance for "29 Palms"

Chart (1993)	Peak position
Australia (ARIA)[8]	79
Canada RPM 100 Hit Tracks[9]	11
Europe (European Hit Radio)[10]	7
Germany (GfK)[11]	73
Italy Airplay (Music & Media)[12]	9
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[13]	20
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[14]	28
UK Singles (OCC)[4]	21
UK Airplay (Music Week)[15]	17
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[16]	4